The GRAMMY is the music industry’s most prestigious award, and with nominees announced just a few days ago, there is no better time than now to review some of the Recording Academy’s picks. Notable nominees include Harry Styles, Beyoncé, and Adele, however, there is another honoree that stood out this year. Rosalía.
El Mal Querer, the Barcelona native’s 2018 album, transformed the entire flamenco genre whilst also receiving a GRAMMY for it. The album even served as Rosalía’s thesis to obtain her degree in flamenco studies. So with the bar set pretty high, can her latest project, MOTOMAMI, compete?
The first song on the 16-track album, “SAOKO,” dismantles and interpolates Wisin and Daddy Yankee’s 2004 reggaeton hit “Saoco” with the infusion of a thundering bass and jazz piano, while Rosalía sings: I’m very much me, I transform/ A butterfly, I transform. Two of the album’s central ideas, transformation and self-respect, are established in this first song.
In an interview with Rosalía at The GRAMMY Museum, recapped by Billboard, the singer admitted: “I had spent years away from home because of the pandemic. I was in the U.S. working on this new project…they told me that if I went in the middle of the project to see my family, I probably wouldn’t be able to come back… So I did the sacrifice and I stayed until I finished it.” The album offers listeners a window into the three years it took her to create it, making it more intimate than her previous CDs, and writes lyrics about fame, heartache, and isolation during that time.
The subsequent song, “CANDY,” features Rosalía’s remarkable vocals over another distinctive reggaeton beat and makes reference to the iconic song of the same name by the Puerto Rican duo Plan B. In “BULERÍAS,” she returns to her flamenco roots utilizing the “Palmas,” the distinctive handclaps that are a crucial component of the genre, as well as the flamenco singers known as “cantaores,” who provide background vocals. She sings about the criticism she receives and, in the song’s second part, pays tribute to some of her musical heroes, such as the rapper M.I.A. and cantaor José Mercé.
Rosalía has demonstrated her versatility on this album, singing from a fast-paced, chaotic, and explosive samba in “CUUUUuuuuute” to a somber, heartfelt love ballad in “COMO UN G.” Her consistent ability to transition from one genre to another clearly illustrates her abilities and artistic potential. The juxtaposition of these songs also highlights the tumultuous time period the album was formed from, despite the fact that the entire album may appear to be a jumble of various songs without a consistent theme. The interlude track ‘Abcdef’ and the track titles being stylized in all caps further reflect Rosalía’s distinctive personality and eclectic methodology.
Two features are present on the album: “LA FAMA” with Canadian hip-hop musician The Weeknd and “LA COMBI VERSACE” with Tokischa, a budding dembow performer from the Dominican Republic. The former is a bachata-esque song with her distorted background vocals serving as a play on the romantic guitar of a classic bachata. The Weeknd sings in Spanish: What happened left me sleepless, I can’t even think/ Her blood boils, she always wants more. Throughout the song, the two address the pitfalls of fame, and near the end, Rosalía sings the bridge almost a cappella. The latter feature is a deep, reggaeton-style track with strong vocals by both and popping lyrics about opulence, and popular fashion houses and icons.
More on the upbeat side is “BIZCOCHITO,” a playful-pop, almost toy-phone-sounding beat, whose child-like qualities and frenzied melody, layered under the sweet-sounding hums, make the song refreshing and addictive. The album’s final song, “SAKURA,” comprises the crowd chanting the singer’s name and feels like a live performance. Strong reverbs and echos in the track accentuate Rosalía’s already powerful voice and the melancholic lyrics regarding stardom.
MOTOMAMI accomplishes so many things for being just an album; it ingeniously incorporates sounds from many parts of the globe, sustains excellent production throughout, and ultimately diversifies music as a whole, song by song.
Favorites: ‘CHICKEN TERIYAKI’, ‘HENTAI’, ‘G3N15’, and ‘DELIRIO DE GRANDEZA’
Score: 9.8/10
Contributing writer Brandon Santa Cruz is a first-year DSC student.